Dubious Black Chocolate Stout - North Peak Brewing Company

tectactoe

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

06-19-2012 01:43:36 | More by tectactoe

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into a snifter. Found this review from over a year ago.

Appearance - Big mocha head on a jet black body.  Darker than many heavier stouts.  Looks like Guinness.  Decent retention but not a bit of lacing sticks to the glass.

Smell - Dark roasted malt aroma.  Bitter chocolate. Very bitter aroma, really.  Not a hint of sweetness. No idea how I managed to smell bitterness when I wrote this review.

Taste - Dark bitter chocolate again.  Very one-note. Chocolate and an intense bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Pretty thin for a stout.  Easy drinking in that respect. Pretty high in carbonation too, but that bitterness is too much.

Overall - Simple flavor, but it's a nice flavor.  The bitterness kills it though.  Drinkable, I guess.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:54:03 | More by Alieniloquium

JohnnieNepal

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

02-22-2013 22:30:12 | More by JohnnieNepal

mrebeka

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

01-15-2013 22:53:46 | More by mrebeka

leinie13

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

01-08-2013 04:10:20 | More by leinie13

Lukass

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +20.1%

01-05-2013 13:42:54 | More by Lukass

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Once more, a bottle as part of my attempt to reduce the inventory. My thanks to my college buddy, David A., for sending me some Michigan beers.

From the bottle: "Brewed up North"; "Ale Brewed with Chocolate".

A stubby bottle! Holy Misspent Youth, Batman! I can't tell you how many stubbies we put away in our teens, but it was substantial. Also, for you budding anarchists, when building a Molotov Cocktail, a stubby bottle works better than a larger one.

I employed a gentle pour as I was concerned that there was a slight amount of lees in the bottle and I did not want to disturb their slumber. I still got a finger of foamy, deep-brown head with moderate retention. Color was a deep, dark brown allowing ZERO light penetration. Nose smelled like they had melted a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate bar and poured it into my glass. I miss my Pops (father), who loved dark chocolate. My Mom-Za was into bizarre candy, like pastel pecans and licorice and soft chewy things. I personally eschew sweets, going for tangy, salty, bitter and like flavors. The mouthfeel was very fizzy, not really full but more efferevscent, and the taste was bittersweet chocolate. I wished that Pops was around to see what he would think of this, but it would be up his alley, no doubt. Finish was semi-dry with a mix of smoke and chocolate on the tongue. One was plenty for me, but if this is your bag, have at it.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 22:29:00 | More by woodychandler

ucsbmullet

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

09-08-2012 15:35:31 | More by ucsbmullet

JBarx

2.25/5  rDev -36.4%

08-27-2012 16:18:56 | More by JBarx

amishbooze

Michigan

4/5  rDev +13%

07-12-2012 23:00:51 | More by amishbooze

duceswild

Maryland

2.75/5  rDev -22.3%

06-26-2012 02:56:23 | More by duceswild

KFrank729

Ohio

5/5  rDev +41.2%

06-18-2012 20:34:38 | More by KFrank729

sgoro

Illinois

1/5  rDev -71.8%

06-10-2012 01:38:23 | More by sgoro

Keffa

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First review in a long, long time. Stubby bottle poured into an Ephemere tulip.

A: By far and away the best American stout I've ever seen in glass. A somewhat rousing pour fills the tulip with a head that takes up the whole glass and literally takes 5 minutes to settle enough to pour the rest of the bottle. Once the whole bottle is in, the head is still half the glass. It settles (again, after about 5 minutes) into a 1/2" thick full cap that leaves copious lacing everywhere on the glass. Color is pitch black with the head being a dark tan. Fantastic.

S: Deep roast, bittersweet chocolate, earthy hop, coffee, toast notes. Nice, but very heavily handed on the roast aroma kinda puts me off a bit.

T: Wow, not what I was expecting at all. The roast is much more mellow in the taste than in the aroma. Mainly focuses on the bittersweet chocolate, a light coffee and roast behind that. Very lightly bready and toast. Earthy hop comes through again, although it's subtle.

M: On the full side of medium, if that makes sense. Not quite chewy thick as an Imperial stout, but not as thin as some of the American stouts I've had. Coating on the palate. Nicely carbonated, almost creamy in texture. Finishes dry.

O: Very nice stout, easy drinking, low ABV, good flavor, and looks great. If you want a beer to show off how good it looks, I'd wager you won't easily find one that looks better.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 04:10:58 | More by Keffa

Supergenious

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

04-15-2012 02:29:52 | More by Supergenious

buschbeer

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle
Served in a perfect pint glass

A - It pours virtually black. An easy pour got me half a glass of mocha colored head.

S - I get some faint roasted malt. The focus seems to be on coffee and milk chocolate.

T - The taste is pretty mellow. Once again the roasted malt is faint. I get some coffee and bakers chocolate. I get a slight sense of bitter coffee on the aftertaste.

M - Medium to full

O - It reminds me of my attempts at homebrewing a stout. It is not terrible, but it certainly does not stand out in this style.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 00:07:35 | More by buschbeer

Blueribbon666

Ohio

3/5  rDev -15.3%

03-03-2012 22:33:33 | More by Blueribbon666

Mitchster

Michigan

2/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

$1.99 for a stubby 12oz bottle. Opens with a very brisk woosh. Gusher. Poured into a glass, forms solid foam, foaming over the edge of the glass. Black with a tall soapy tan head with very good retention and solid lacing. Very briskly carbonated. Thick layer of yeast in the bottom of the bottle. The aroma is of burnt marshmallows, kiwi fruit and copper. Chocolate? Where's the chocolate? Infected with something funky. The taste is tart and acidic with just enough malt character to remind me that this used to be beer. Scorched malts, wayyyy to much black patent bitterness and astringency. Champagne like mouthfeel, light bodied. Bitterness is moderately strong for a stout and earthy.

Dubious indeed.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 23:54:27 | More by Mitchster

cynical1027

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +27.1%

02-21-2012 03:32:44 | More by cynical1027

Tyrawlings

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

02-16-2012 15:13:47 | More by Tyrawlings

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 12/15/2011. Pours almost pitch black color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense tan head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, caramel, earthiness, and some herbal spiciness. Some nice and balanced aromas with decent strength. Taste of chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, caramel, earthiness, herbal spices, biscuit, and molasses. Lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, and earthiness on the finish for a bit. Solid balance of flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a very creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish. Overall this is a nice and enjoyable stout offering. Smooth and drinkable; with a good flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 05:59:35 | More by superspak

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to beerhan for the bottle. Cheers!

Opaque black with an ample light brown head that leaves spots of lacing.

The chocolate shows best in the smell, blending with roasted grain notes. Prominent inviting aroma. Flavor is dominated by roasted grains, with a big trailing bitterness. Little or no chocolate in the taste. A bit grainy and one dimensional

Mouthfeel is a bit light for the big flavors. A bigger body would be a better match for the strong aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 02:05:24 | More by CliffBrake

frenchblood21

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into Chimay goblet.

Appearance- Pitch black with a finger of dark tan head. More head than expected from a gentle pour.

Smell- Chocolate and malt in that order. Not too complex. Just smells like an average stout.

Taste- Nothing stands out besides the chocolate. A bit hoppier then other stouts I've had in this category.

Mouthfeel- Way too thin for a chocolate stout. It seems like the consistency is far off.

Overall- I could not recommend getting a whole 6 pack of this beer. I could, however, suggest getting a single bottle just to say you've had/reviewed it.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 01:44:37 | More by frenchblood21

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

These neckless bottle do not engender a good pour.

Bottled 12/06/11

A - Dark brown/black body with a large dark tan head. Pretty nice look here.

S - Chocolate, tanned leather/rawhide, dark fruits. It's a nice smell. Simple, but good things.

T - Dry malty chocolate flavor with a dry rawhide finish. Chocolate is not as prevalent here as it is in, say, ST Choklat, but it's good, and the dryness/bitterness is appropriate for the blackness of said chocolate.

M - Kind of thin, pretty smooth, present carbonation

O - this is pretty good. It is not quite how I would ideally imagine this beer, but it is nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 00:41:31 | More by ColdPoncho

GRPunk

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle dated DEC1411, poured into a Duvel tulip.

A- A 2-finger, dense, dark brown head developes after a vigorous pour. Body is near jet through the middle with dark brown edges. Think I saw a hint of sediment during the pour. Head settles into about 1-finger and leaves good spots on the glass.

S- Mix of traditional roasty malts and dark chocolate. Though, there really isn't any more chocolate aroma than I get in many other stouts. An odd berry-like sweetness hit me at one point, causing a little concern.

T- Very roasty. Dark chocolate is present, though not as much as I'd expect from a "black chocolate stout.". A solid American stout, nonetheless. Does drink quite robust for the moderate ABV.

M- Moderate carbonation, medium feel. Dryish finish. Well within what I expect of a stout.

O- A solid, flavorful stout. I could drink a few in a single sitting. That said, the "chocolate" was a bit of a let-down. When a beer is advertised as a chocolate stout, I expect the chocolate to be showcased, front and center. Just a bit too subtle, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 22:19:53 | More by GRPunk